Compliance Officer

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Publication Starting Date: May 20, 2026

Location: Lyon, France

Company: Interpol

Vacancy Notice 1800

 

INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 196 Member Countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities, and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime. 

 

INTERPOL actively encourages applications from women and nationals of member countries that are currently unrepresented among our staff (please click on this link to access the list of countries). Candidates from these countries are particularly encouraged to apply. 

 

INTERPOL’s recruitment process is merit-based hence all hiring decisions are made considering the applicant’s qualifications and the needs of the Organization.

 

Job Title: Compliance Officer   
Reporting To: Counsel, Data Protection
Location: Lyon 
Type of contract: Fixed-term Contract 
Duration (in months): 12.00  *
Grade: 5   
Number of post: 1
Level of Security screening:  Enhanced
Deadline for application:11 June 2026

 

Conditions applying for all candidates

 

Only professional experience for which candidates can provide official proof of employment will be considered. Candidates could be requested to provide copies of such official documents prior to interviews/test.

 

* This position has a temporary nature and carries, in principle, no expectation of renewal. Any potential subsequent extension will be subject to the terms of the Organization’s Staff Manual, to satisfactory performance and to availability of funds.

 

Tests/interviews in connection to this selection procedure will take place approximately 3-4 weeks after the deadline for applications. Applicants are kindly requested to plan their availability during this period accordingly, in case they are short-listed.

 

​Selected candidates will be expected to report for duty approximately two to three months after receiving an offer of employment at the latest.

 

This selection exercise may be used to generate a reserve list of suitable candidates that may be used to address Organization's similar staffing needs in the future.

 

 

 

SUMMARY OF THE ASSIGNED DUTIES, INCLUDING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE POST

 

The Data Protection Office (DPO) aims at ensuring effective governance, accountability, operational compliance, and responsible operational use of data and technology in relation to INTERPOL’s data protection framework and the INTERPOL Information System (IIS). The Office contributes to strengthening a sustainable, operationally effective, and business-enabling data protection culture through advisory, monitoring, governance, risk management, and awareness activities from legal, operational, and technical perspectives.

 

Under the supervision of the INTERPOL Data Protection Officer (IDPO), the incumbent contributes to the implementation and operationalization of the INTERPOL Data Protection Management System (IDPMS), with a particular focus on operational compliance execution, data protection impact assessments, lawful processing reviews, governance implementation, and business-enabling advisory activities. The incumbent reinforces operational and strategic data processing initiatives across the Organization. He/she independently coordinates Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), Legitimate Interest Assessments (LIAs), operational compliance reviews, governance assessments, and implementation follow-up.

 

The role contributes to strengthening a modern, operational, and risk-based data protection governance model supporting accountability, innovation, responsible use of technology, and secure operational collaboration across the Organization.

 

The incumbent is expected to independently manage assigned compliance assessments, governance reviews, and operational advisory within designated areas of responsibility and performs duties in accordance with INTERPOL’s regulatory framework, confidentiality obligations, operational independence requirements, and applicable governance procedures.

 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES

 

 

  1. Duty 1 – Operational Compliance Reviews, DPIAs, and Risk Assessments
  • Conduct DPIAs, LIAs, operational compliance reviews, governance assessments, and risk evaluations relating to operational, strategic and technology enabled data processing activities.
  • Independently assess operational processing activities involving sensitive, high-risk, cloud-based, AI-enabled, or law-enforcement-related processing environments.
  • Support the identification, assessment, documentation, mitigation, and follow-up of data protection risks, governance gaps, and compliance deficiencies.
  • Contribute to operational follow-up activities relating to mitigation measures, action plans, remediation initiatives, and governance recommendations.
  • Support escalation activities relating to high-risk or non-compliant processing activities where required.

 

 

 

  1. Duty 2 – Business-Enabling Advisory and Operational Support

 

  • Provide practical, risk-based, and business-enabling guidance to operational, legal, managerial, procurement, cybersecurity, and technology stakeholders regarding data processing activities and governance requirements.
  • Support operational projects, innovation initiatives, digital transformation programmes, cloud initiatives, and operational deployments through pragmatic and solution-oriented advisory activities.
  • Translate complex legal, governance, operational, and technical requirements into clear and actionable guidance for business stakeholders.
  • Contribute to the development, review, and implementation of operational procedures, governance standards, privacy notices, contractual clauses, operational controls, and compliance documentation.
  • Support operational decision-making through timely, practical, and implementation-oriented compliance advisory activities.

 

  1. Duty 3 – Information Governance, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Support
  • Contribute to governance activities relating to information governance, data governance, operational data lifecycle management, cloud governance, and emerging technologies.
  • Support governance and compliance activities relating to AI-enabled environments, operational analytics, automation initiatives, and evolving digital processing ecosystems.
  • Assist in maintaining operational visibility over processing activities, governance controls, compliance implementation measures, and accountability mechanisms.
  • Contribute to the collection, rationalization, maintenance, and operational monitoring of records of processing activities and associated governance documentation.
  • Maintain awareness of developments, operational practices, standards, and emerging risks relating to data governance, AI governance, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, operational data ecosystems, and law-enforcement information management environments.

 

  1. Duty – Governance Implementation, Operational Coordination, and Continuous Improvement
  • Contribute to the implementation and operational maintenance of the INTERPOL Data Protection Management System (IDPMS), including Key Performance Indicator (KPI) monitoring, governance reporting, operational tracking, and implementation follow-up activities.
  • Coordinate activities relating to compliance implementation, governance monitoring, operational reporting, and remediation tracking.
  • Contribute to governance maturity, operational effectiveness, continuous improvement initiatives, and development of practical governance mechanisms across the Organization.
  • Perform awareness activities, operational workshops, presentations, training initiatives, and stakeholder engagement activities relating to operational data protection and governance matters.
  • Contribute to operational reporting, dashboarding, governance analytics, KPI monitoring, and data visualization activities using Power Business Intelligence (BI) or equivalent reporting platforms.
  • Support onboarding, coordination, and operational integration activities involving junior officers, secondees, trainees, or designated support personnel where applicable.

QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

 

Education and qualification required

  • Three to four years of completed university education in law, information governance, data protection, cybersecurity, information management, international public administration or another relevant field. An Advanced university degree would be considered as an asset.
  • Relevant professional certifications in privacy, data protection, governance, risk, compliance, cybersecurity, or information management would be considered an asset.

 

Experience required

  • At least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience in data protection, information governance, compliance, operational risk management, cybersecurity, digital governance, or related fields. A longer experience (5 to 8 years minimum) would be considered as an asset.
  • Demonstrated experience independently conducting and managing DPIAs, LIAs, operational compliance reviews, governance assessments, or risk management activities in complex operational environments.
  • Experience supporting operational data processing activities within law enforcement, defense, security, intelligence, governmental, regulatory, or other sensitive operational environments would be considered a strong asset.
  • Experience assessing third-party, vendor, cloud, SaaS, or cross-border processing environments would be considered an asset.
  • Experience supporting cloud governance, operational technology environments, information governance initiatives, AI-enabled, data/driven and emerging technology processing activities, or digital transformation programmes is highly desirable.
  • Experience with governance reporting, KPI monitoring, dashboarding, data visualization, or analytical reporting tools (e.g. Power BI or equivalent platforms) would be considered an asset.
  • Experience engaging with operational, legal, managerial, procurement, cybersecurity, and technical stakeholders in complex and multicultural environments is highly desirable.
  • Experience translating legal and governance requirements into operationally practical and business-oriented guidance is strongly desirable.

 

languages

 

  • Professional fluency in English is required.
  • Working knowledge of another official INTERPOL languages (Arabic, French, Spanish) is desirable.

 

Abilities required

  • Strong analytical, operational, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities.
  • Ability to independently manage multiple complex operational assessments and governance activities simultaneously.
  • Excellent drafting, communication, stakeholder engagement, and advisory skills.
  • Ability to explain complex legal, governance, operational, and technical topics in a clear and practical manner to non-specialist stakeholders.
  • Strong understanding of governance, compliance, operational risk management, cloud environments, emerging technologies, operational data processing ecosystems, and information governance principles.
  • Ability to provide pragmatic, risk-based, and business-enabling guidance in complex operational and technology-driven environments.
  • Ability to support data-driven governance, operational reporting, dashboarding, and analytical monitoring activities.
  • Strong professional judgment, discretion, impartiality, and ability to handle sensitive operational information.
  • Capacity to support innovation, digital transformation, AI-enabled environments, and evolving operational governance initiatives while maintaining appropriate compliance safeguards.
  • Commitment to professionalism, integrity, accountability, operational effectiveness, and intercultural collaboration.